Evaporative refrigerant condenser



March 13, 1956 A. W. RUFF EVAPORATIVE REFRIGERANT CONDENSER Filed Feb. 5, 1954 INVENTOR ALo/vzo W IQUFF ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 2,737,789 EVAPORATIVE REFRIGERANT CONDENSER Alonzo W. Ruff, York, Pa. Application February 5, 1954, Serial No. 408,366 5 Claims. (Cl. 62-'156) This invention relates to condensers and more particularly to evaporative condensers for refrigerating or air conditioning systems. While primarily designed for use in domestic air conditioning systems, because of its compact size and high efficiency, it is not necessarily limited to such use. 1

Domestic air conditioning systems are currently enjoying a rapidly expanding market, and inrn'any areas the problem of disposing of the heat absorbed; by the refrigerant from the house has become a difiicult one to solve. In urban areas, where there is an adequate water supply, and an equally adequate sewage system for disposal of higher temperature water, the proble'mis not too acute. In rural areas, however, even if the water supply is adequate, the disposal thereof becomes critical. In the quantities generally accepted as necessary to operate a straight water cooled condenser, the warm water off the condenser cannot be simply dumped into a septic Y tank or field. Cooling towers are objectionable in both urban and rural areas, because of their unsightliness and noise of operation. An alternative is to use straight air cooling, but. the required blowers or fans have to be so large, that their outside installation is imperative, and here again both noise and appearance are objectionable.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a compact and eflicient evaporative condenser for air conditioning systems of the domestic type.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a unit which is both small and quiet enough for indoor installation.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an evaporative condenser which uses only a small amount of water and yet achieves effective condensing which is suflicient for domestic air conditioning systems.

A complete understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the attached drawings while reading the following detailed description.

Figure 1 is a top plan view (cover removed) of an apparatus embodying the instant invention; and

Figure 2 is a section on line 22 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings for a more detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the instant invention, the apparatus includes an annular bank of coils supported above the water surface of a sump 11. The coil bank includes a plurality of individual coils of substantially equal length. The outermost (largest diameter) coil, therefore, has fewer turns than the innermost (smallest diameter). The inlet header 12, shown in Figure l, is connected to the uppermost turn of each coil. The outlet header 13, as shown in Figure 2, is connected to the lowermost turn in each coil. The purpose of using coils of equal length is to insure that there will be the same refrigerant pressure drop in each coil between the headers 12 and 13.

A rotary water distributor, comprising a plurality of arms 14 (Figure l), is journaled for rotation above the coil bank 10. Each arm of the distributor has a plurality of outlet openings 15 therein. These openings are 2,737,789 Patented Mar. 13, 1956 2 positioned in a straight line, a few degrees away from the lowest point of each arm, so that water issuing from these openings will impart rotation to the distributor.

A pump 16, Figure 1, is arranged in the sump 11 to force water, under pressure, from the sump through the conduit 17 to the distributor. In operation, therefore, the pump will rotate the distributor and shower the coil bank uniformly with water. Water which is unevaporated from the coil surfaces simply falls back into the sump.

In order to providefor evaporative cooling on the surfaces of the coil bank of the highest possible elficiency, the coil bank is positioned within a confined annular chamber 18, defined by an outer casing 19, and an inner casing 20. Both casings lie closely adjacent the inner and outer coils of the bank and the'upper surface 21 of the inner casing may form a support for the water distributor 14. Both casings are open at the bottom, and the outer casing includes an upper opening 22 of reduced size. A blower 23, which may be driven by an electric motor 24, is arranged toforce air tangentially into the annular chamber 18 occupied by the coil bank 10. Further, the arrangement is such that the air blast will spiral upwardly through the annular chamber in a direction which is counter to the gravitational movement of water on the surfaces of the coil bank, and counter to the direction of flow of refrigerant within the coils, but in the same direction as the rotation of the distributor. By this arrangement a maximum cooling effect is achieved by evaporation of water directly in contact with the refrigerant carrying conduits which comprise the coil bank. The fact that the spiralling air rotates in the same direction as the rotary distributor means that it assists in its rotation.

A high pressure liquid receiver 25 is at least partially submerged in the sump 11 and, of course, the lower header 13 is connected to the inlet of the receiver as shown most clearly in Figure 1. It will be apparent to those skiled in this art that the outlet of the liquid receiver will be connected to the evaporator of the air conditioning system and that the inlet header 12 will be connected to the compressor outlet.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that there is herein shown and described a new and useful evaporative condenser which by reason of its compact size and high efficiency will find wide use throughout the refrigerating and air conditioning arts.

I claim:

1. An evaporative refrigerant condenser comprising in combination: a plurality of refrigerant carrying coils arranged in an annular bank in spaced relation to each other, each of said coils being substantially the same physical length to produce equal pressure drop in each coil; inlet and outlet header means connected to opposite ends of said coil bank affording connection of the coils to a refrigerant compressor outlet and a liquid refrigerant receiver, respectively; a water sump; means supporting said coil bank above said sump; a rotary water distributor journaled on the axis of said coil bank for rotation over and adjacent to the upper convolutions of said coil bank; means for rotating said distributor in a direction counter to the flow of refrigerant in said coil bank including means for pumping water under pressure from said sump to said distributor for uniformly showering said coil bank with water; an outer cylindrical casing for said coil bank and distributor, said casing terminating closely above said distributor in a reduced opening; an inner cylindrical casing positioned concentrically and being coextensive in length with said coil bank; means defining an air inlet opening through said outer casing, said inlet being arranged tangentially of said coil bank; and means for forcing a stream of air through said inlet, through and around said coil bank in a direction counter to the flow of refrigerant in said coils but in the same direction as the direction of rotation of said distributor, and out of the opening in said outer casing above said distributor.

2. A condenser as defined by claim 1 in which a liquid receiver connected to the outlet header is positioned in the sump and at least partially submerged therein.

3. A condenser as defined by claim 1 in which the rotary distributor comprises: a hollow hub member journaled on the axis of the coil bank at the end remote from the sump; a plurality of hollow arms connected to and extending radially outwardly from said member; and means defining a plurality of openings at corresponding points on each arm adjacent the coil sides thereof.

4. A condenser as defined by claim 1 in which a power driven blower is positioned on the inlet opening to force air over the coil bank.

5. An evaporative refrigerant condenser comprising in combination: a plurality of refrigerant carrying coils arranged concentrically in an annular bank in spaced radial relationship to each other, each of said coils being substantially the same physical length to produce equal refrigerant pressure drop in each coil; inlet and outlet header means connected to each of said coils at the top and bottom of said bank respectively, and affording connection of the coils to a refrigerant compressor outlet and a liquid refrigerant receiver, respectively; a water sump; a high pressure liquid refrigerant receiver connected to the said outlet header, positioned in the sump and at least partially submerged therein; means supporting said coil bank closely adjacent to and above said sump; a rotary water distributor including a hollow hub member journaled on the axis of the coil at the end remote from the sump and a plurality of hollow arms connected to and extending radially outwardly from said member, each of said arms having a plurality of openings at corresponding points on each arm adjacent the coil sides thereof; means for rotating said distributor in a direction counter to the flow of refrigerant in said coil bank including a pump positioned within the sump and connected to force water under pressure from said sump to said distributor for uniformly showering said coil bank with water; an outer cylindrical casing concentrically surrounding said coil bank and distributor, said casing terminating closely above said distributor in a reduced opening; an inner cylindrical casing positioned concentrically and being coextensive in length with said coil bank; means defining an air inlet opening through said outer casing, said inlet being arranged tangentially of said coil bank adjacent the end remote from the distributor; a power blower connected to said inlet to force a stream of air therethrough, through and around said coil bank in a direction counter to the flow of refrigerant in said outer casing above said distributor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 968,909 Winkler Aug. 30, 1910 2,493,141 Henney Jan. 3, 1950 2,509,031 Bockmeyer May 23, 1950 2,644,322 Preble July 7, 1953 

